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About the Study Guide

You are looking at the Massachusetts Hunter’s Ed Study Guide. At the present time, you cannot obtain hunter education certification from Hunter Ed. However, you can use this Study Guide as a resource to learn more about hunter safety.

Large Mammals

The large mammal group typically includes horned animals, antlered animals, bears, and large members of the wild cat or wild dog families.

Horned or antlered animals have these key characteristics.

Horns are hollow and are not shed. Wild sheep and goats have horns.

Antlers are solid bone and are shed annually. Members of the deer family have antlers and rub their antlers on trees.

Horned and antlered animals are cloven-hoofed (their hooves have two parts).

Horned and antlered animals are ruminants (they chew cud). A ruminant digests its food in two steps. First they eat food and regurgitate it (cud), and then they eat it a second time. They have a hard upper pad that they use to mash their food.

Characteristics of Mammals

Mammals are warm-blooded animals with hair. Young are nourished with milk from the mother.